7.15.2012

"Nobody wants to be inundated. There is so much out there. What we need is fewer things, better edited." - Anna Wintour

As a teenager from Queens Village, I have always dreamed of living in New York City {I felt like I was always that kid behind the fence watching all the other kids playing...having fun, while I was missing out}. Especially after going to school and working in the city for many years, it made this desire even more alluring.

This city never sleeps and is full of stylish people that care about fitness. People enjoy an outdoor lifestyle and walk everywhere, which seemingly makes them happy... more serotonin I suppose. It's a city that thrives on a social life. The idea of meeting a friend or colleague for cocktails or a meal at restaurant or simply for coffee or tea at a cafe is beyond attractive to me - that is what I call 'Joie De Vivre'.

After years of comfortable living in the suburbs with the acres of land, the cars, the garages, driveways to park the cars, the walk-in closets, the central air, I can go on and on... I still had the burning desire to be in NYC even knowing the fact that NYC apartment spaces run on the smaller side with just your basic necessities. Those who have the perks of a house with full amenities are the millionaires {...and I am not one yet, maybe soon;}, yet, I still opted to give up the almost 2,000 square foot living space I had with a water closet, jacuzzi tub, separate shower stall, massive walk-in closet with walls of shoes displayed, etc... for a 700 sq ft mini me NYC apartment {that's astronomical in price}, which means purging of all things big. So needless to say, we had to get rid of a lot of things, and are still in the process of purging larger pieces of furniture. As insane as this might sound to some, there are perks to downsizing:

1.It helps you to be creative in curating what you have. For instance, many of my necessary products that I used to have conveniently stored away in cabinets either underneath the bathroom sink or medicine cabinet now had to be stored in prettier containers to be displayed on shelves.

2. Less to clean and maintain. In reality this saves you money because now no housekeeper is needed AND I will have more time to do what I really love.

3.It helps to keep only the things that I truly love, and/or have meaning. For example, there's this antique retro buffet table that we purchased almost 14 years ago which is now being used as counter/bar space in our current mini kitchen. Will show pictures in my upcoming post: 'City Living: Creative Displays...'

4.It curbs impulse purchases. Now I have to stop and ask myself 'do I really need this?'

5.Less clutter and STUFF to worry about. If you like to travel as much as we do, it means less to worry about when you are away. Also, there is something to be said for having a home that does not suffocate you with stuff all over the place. Simple, yet tasteful pieces go a long way and can make a big statement.

6. No more bulk purchases at the well-known warehouses. In our case, although we have the membership card, I was never into buying in bulk specifically for the purpose of not seeing all that STUFF!

And the best perk of all is....

7. City living pulls you into the outdoors. Being surrounded by restaurants, parks, oceans and bays, there is always something to do in the outdoors instead of staying cooped up in an apartment. Usually, we picnic in the park and enjoy free concert music echoing in the background. Other times we just head out to enjoy some cafes steps away from our building. The cafes are great here because they let you lounge for a while, sipping on a favorite drink while watching passersby.

We chose to live like this since we're the type that live like free birds. It makes for a much less overwhelmed life. I will be sharing some of my creative photos on how I have stored some essentials in a much prettier way. Stay tuned!